Sunday, November 18, 2007

Dog Droppings Stolen

LOS ANGELES -- A mugger attacked Mrs. Hollis Sharpe. It was, she said, a terrifying and painful experience -- he broke her left arm.

But, despite terror and pain, Mrs. Sharpe was able to recognize a kind of ironic, theatre-of-the-absurd justice in what happened.

As has been her habit for years, Mrs. Sharpe was walking her 7-year-old miniature poodle, Jonathan.

Mrs. Sharpe is a woman of sensibility and consideration. She always carries a plastic bag and a newspaper with her on her nightly walks.

When Jonathan does what dogs do, Mrs. Sharpe carefully scoops it up with the newspaper and drops it in the bag for sanitary disposal later.

"You have to think of your neighbors," she said.

Plastic Bag

Jonathan had done what dogs do Wednesday night, and Mrs. Sharpe had done what women of sensibility and consideration do, and she was carrying the plastic bag in her right hand when the mugger jumped out of a car and grabbed her.

She screamed, winced in pain and fell.

The mugger, a tall young man in a gray topcoat, snatched the plastic bag from Mrs. Sharpe and ran to his car -- only later to discover the nature of the loot.

"I only wish," said Mrs. Sharpe, "there had been a little bit more in the bag."